tennis racquets in the boot of his Bentley. Archpriest Kostic played tennis with him.
Bane also tried to teach him golf, but without success. In 1989 he accompanied Bane
on a holiday for a few days in Burgundy. Like many others, Archpriest Kostic was
impressed by Bane’s excellent memory and his wide-ranging knowledge about topics
such as wine, literature, history and business. The Conservative Party was evidently
important to him, and whenever any reference was made to Margaret Thatcher he
would say “That’s my girl”. He gave a jubilee bowl and statue to Archpriest Kostic’s
wife to mark Mrs Thatcher’s ten years as leader of the Party, saying that he had
bought one for himself and one for them. He loved the Conservative Party, and talked
about it very often.
145.
In the early years of their friendship Bane would say to Archpriest Kostic that he did
not need a house of his own, because he could afford to stay in a hotel or in clubs
where he could play tennis and golf whenever he wanted. Bane did not explain to
him the reasons for his peripatetic existence, and would become angry if questioned in
detail about his family. Archpriest Kostic would encourage him from time to time to
buy a home of his own, and eventually these suggestions bore fruit when Archpriest
Kostic found 5 Audley Road for Bane through an estate agent in 1989.
146.
It will be remembered that Archpriest Kostic is one of the three executors of the 1989
Will. Bane had never previously discussed his money or business affairs with him,
and when Bane asked him to be his executor he said “You are the only one that I can
trust but you are still part of the establishment”. Bane explained this by saying that in
his view it was not good to be part of any establishment, but he recognised that
Archpriest Kostic had to be; for his part, he did not have to be part of any
establishment, and was proud to be a free man. Archpriest Kostic agreed to accept
appointment as an executor, but there was no discussion between them about the
contents of the 1989 Will and Archpriest Kostic was unaware of them until after
Bane’s death.
147.
On one occasion Bane mentioned to Archpriest Kostic that he had a son, who lived in
Scotland. Bane said that his son had enough for a living, and that he had a good
home. Bane seemed disappointed in his son, but did not explain why.
David Hughes
148.
Mr Hughes is a solicitor, and is now a partner in Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP where
he is head of the firm’s banking and finance litigation practice. He was admitted as a
solicitor in January 1981, and in 1984 he joined Oppenheimers, originally as an
articled clerk. He then remained with the firm until its dissolution in October 1988.
In 1986 or 1987, when he was a member of the firm’s litigation department, he acted
for Bane in connection with some Swiss commercial litigation in which he was
involved. Bane had apparently become mistrustful of his Swiss lawyer acting on the
case, and Mr Hughes was asked to travel to Switzerland in order to meet the Swiss
lawyer and check that he was doing his job properly. Mr Hughes undertook this
delicate task, met the Swiss lawyer first in Switzerland and later in England, and
formed the view that his performance was not open to any criticism. He advised Bane
accordingly, and recalls that Bane was displeased to be told this. Indeed, he thought
that his disagreement with Bane’s assessment of his Swiss lawyer might explain
Bane’s subsequent disenchantment with Oppenheimers, although when he was shown
letters in which Bane accused Oppenheimers of being involved in a conspiracy